Three Steps To Avoid Burn Out

You know those mornings when you don’t want to wake up and staying in your nice warm, cozy bed sounds so much better than squeezing in your workout or getting ready for the day?  You just want a few more minutes to savor the peace and quiet before the start of a hectic day.  The demands of everyone else constantly pull at you throughout the day which leaves you feeling drained, exhausted, and tried by the afternoon.  If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed to where you can’t do any more, then it’s time to pause and reevaluate because you’re on the road to burn out.  Here are three steps to avoid burn out.

Schedule

The first step is to make a list of all the things that you need to get done and just keep writing.  Getting everything out of your head and down on paper so your mind will stop stressing out about forgetting something.  You don’t have to get all of these things done in one day.  Take a look at your schedule and what you have planned this week.  Choose a few things that you must get done and schedule it in your planner.  Don’t try and cram everything into your schedule to where every minute you have to do something.  Stop overbooking your schedule and start to remove things that are not essential.  Review the list you made and delegate any tasks you can to someone else.  You may think that you’re the only one that can do these things.  Or, that it will only take you a few minutes.  But, these things add up and continuing to carry the burden of the heavy load will only lead to burn out.  Delegate what you can and work to thin out your schedule instead of booking yourself to the max in order to avoid burn out.

Slow Down

Next, plan some white space in your schedule.  You need to time to rest and recharge your batteries.  This may be a spa day or simply giving yourself permission to do nothing.  This can be difficult to do when you have so much to do.  But, in order to avoid burn out, you have to slow down.  Set aside some time where you can just slow down and be at peace.  This will allow your mind to stop racing at a million miles an hour and be quiet.  It’s in these moments when you slow down, that you can reconnect to your goals and dreams.  The silence reminds you of what’s most important in your life and that’s not crossing things off your to do list.  No one gets to the end of their life saying I wish I would have worked more.  Rather, it’s being present with friends, family, and creating moments of pure joy.  Yes, your work allows you to afford to do these things but, finding balance between work and pleasure is a tricky part of life.  Schedule in that white space to slow down and focus on doing more of the things that matter the most to you.  These are the things that will fill your cup at the end of the day instead of draining it.

Boundaries

Lastly, set some boundaries for yourself.  Such as, not taking back the tasks that you delegated!  Establish working hours and avoid working outside of those times.  Make the white space in your schedule non-negotiable and don’t do work during this time.  Put your phone away so that you can be present and you’re not consumed by work or social media.  Have a morning and evening routine that allows you to get ready for the day and unwind at night.  Recognize when you need to say no to something because it doesn’t align with your values or fit in your schedule.  It’s okay to say no!  Don’t let the pressures of other people and worrying about what someone else thinks dictate your life.  You only have one life to live and it’s up to you to choose how you’re going to live it. 

You may hear about the hustle mentality to just do it all and get it everything done.  But, you can only go so far before you hit utter exhaustion.  Use these three tips to help you curb your overwhelm and avoid burning out.  Start by making a list of everything that you need to get done and delegate as much as you can.  Remember, you don’t have to get it all done right now.  Next, schedule in some non-negotiable white space into your schedule so that you have time to slow down and fully enjoy life.  Lastly, establish some boundaries that will help you to live life without feeling overwhelmed and burn out.